BLACK ORPHEUS & BLACK MAMA WHITE MAMA

INTOXICATING DOUBLE BILL

GIRLHOOD & SONS OF CUBA

BLACK HISTORY SEASON  PART 5

This weeks sees the last of our Black History season always with the one you’ve all been waiting for Celine Sciamma’s GIRLHOOD. The film that takes you on journey from late adolescence to adulthood, using gender, race and class as the map we are encouraged to follow. Set in the housing projects of the hidden Paris. Scianna shows a culture very rarely shown in French cinema, with all the main cast members coming from black community of Paris. Even LA HAINE veered away from an all black cast, with most of the cast being none-actors the film has an air of authenticity making its examination of class and gender politics even more searching a must –see. Next up is Andrew Lang’s SONS OF CUBA set in the Havana Boxing Academy Lang follows the journey of three boxing hopefuls through eight dramatic months with the social and political back drop of Cuba and with the defection of it’s Olympic boxing champions to the USA their futures look bleak, passion, politics and pathos. A must-see, with the usual free popcorn and rum.

80 BLOCKS FROM TIFFANY'S & HUSTLERS CONVENTION

THE HUSTLERS DOUBLE BILL

This week we are in New York, first up is 80 BLOCKS. FROM TIFFANY'S  a harsh look at class and culture and the micro society that live 80 blocks from the richest part of New York. Followed by HUSTLERS CONVENTION a tale within a tale of greed, ambition and identity. The album its self originally released in 1973 by LOST POETS Jalal Mansur Nuriddin is a buried masterpiece now here the story behind it. Two must-sees with the usual free popcorn and rum. And remember this week we are at our alternative venue Zombie Shack.

SOUL POWER & BEATS, RHYMES AND LIFE

MUSIC DOUBLE BILL

Two more documentaries this week, with the amazing found footage doc SOUL POWER and the fan made phenomenon. BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE


This week it's the music special with two modern classics. First up is SOUL POWER the cinema verite documentary is constructed entirely of footage shot in 1974 on the Back To Africa music festival in Zaire known more famously as 'ZAIRE 74' held in Kinshasa ahead of the biggest boxing event of all time. Muhammad Ali verses George Forman the famous 'Rumble In the Jungle'. This painstakingly restored piece of filmic art finally comes to the screen this Sunday from 6:15. Next up is the phenomenal documentary made by Tribe Called Quest super fan Michael Rapoport BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE follows Q-Tip, Phife Dog, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi White. Rapaport looks at tensions that eventually lead to the break up of the band. This is not just for the music fans. With the usual free popcorn and Rum.

ALL WHITE IN BARKING & THE NINE MUSES

THE ART OF DOCUMENTARY DOUBLE BILL 

This week we focus on documentary first up is Marc Isaacs ALL WHITE IN BARKING is a heart felt, compassionate look at racial integration in the London borough of Barking. Still probing, still insightful but done with respect for it protagonists. Next up is John Akomfrah's THE NINE MUSES a stylised retelling of post-war migration to Britain, turning it into a poetic as well as a personal journey referencing heavily to Homer's Odyssey. Two film that take an intelligent look at race and migration.
With the usual free popcorn and rum.

GANJA & HESS

BLAXPLOITATION DOUBLE BILL 1973 


This week sees the start of our Black History screenings with the first of our screenings is looking at the culture of guerilla filmmaking amongst the black creative community of the 70's low brow entertainment with high brow subtext that examined race, social class, perception of ones self and the social and political positioning of people of colour in a wider american context . First up is GANJA & HESS by Bill Gunn mixing blaxploitation with the horror genre Gunn uses this populist genre to explore identity, sexuality and religion, we will be showing restored original release from 1973. Next up is BLACK CAESAR Larry Cohen's take on Edward G. Robinson's LITTLE CAESAR but with 1973 sensibilities and as a narrative it looks more at power and how power can derail you ambition if you forget why you set upon a certain path. Two classics that will entertain from start to finish. 

THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS & SAVAGE WITCHES

CULT UNDERGROUND DOUBLE BILL

This week we take a break and leave our brains at the door with two films in which the filmmakers you to let go of your perceptions of reality and let your imagination run riot. First up is Takashi Miike's THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS Miike's take on the Sound Of Music combines stop motion animation with surreal abstractions of the everyday this surrealist comic horror is a must-see for any film fanatic. Next up is SAVAGE WITCHES by underground experimental filmmaker Daniel Fawcett and Clara Pais who use film to create an alternative reality that can go as far as your imagination will allow.